Rupert House

Rupert House Blaine County has lost one of its oldest mining men. Rupert House passed away on December 21, 2008. Rupert had a long full life, always busy, because he would never have it any other way. He was the fourth of the eleven children of Oscar and Angeline (Tucker) House, born in Hansen, Idaho on March 21, 1916. He was always busy working. When he was a young child, his mother would bake pies for him to sell at migrant worker camp sites. Rupe had a paper route for the Times News. He thought oranges always came frozen for Christmas. He attended school in Twin Falls. In his senior year he met a curly haired, sparkly blue eyed chatterbox, he told his mother he was going to marry. They graduated in the spring of 1933 and were married in November. Both he and Bonnie were 17! In the early years it was a struggle to make a living but somehow, Rupert always found work, farming for Bonnie's father, working at a service station in Caldwell, then back to Twin Falls, where their first child, Bill, was born in 1934. Rupert overheard some ladies talking about a place in Blaine County that was hiring miners. When he got on with the Triumph Mine, his life changed and he was hooked! He fell in love with underground hard rock mining. He moved his small family to the Triumph Mine camp where their second son, Tony, was born. They moved to the Challis area and Rupe worked at the Ram's Horn mine located above Bayhorse. While there they had their third and fourth children, Michael and Anita. When they moved back to Blaine County, Rupe started back at the Triumph Mine. As long as Rupert could work a mine, he was happy. They bought a house in Hailey and Rupe worked on that house and Bonnie continued to be the best of cooks and homemakers. They both wanted a little more land so they purchased the 'China Gardens' just outside Hailey. Rupert continued to work at the mine and he drove the mine bus. Somehow Bonnie found out about the ranch for sale between Brassy's and Knight's up East Fork Road, all 900 and some acres of it. She knew it would be a good thing so she talked to Rupert about it. And being Rupert, always busy working the little farm on the China Garden and with the mine, he just told her to go ahead and do it, but not to bother him until it was done. The next thing he knew he had to start building a home on his new property. The original house had burned down. That summer was very busy. If you came to visit, bring a hammer and talk while you worked. Bonnie would furnish a great lunch. The house had a multitude of architects and laborers; it was ready to move into by fall. When they moved, there was no water or electricity, but plenty of heat from the cook stove in the kitchen and a big double barreled stove in the living room. The family made it through the winter with the children going to a one room school at the mining town of North Star. If the old truck would not start on an icy winter morning, then Bonnie would just build a fire under the motor to warm it up a little. It was just a little fire. Rupert continued to work at the mine until it closed in 1957. Then he went to work at the Silver Star Queen. In 1958 they had another boy, Patrick. In the fall of 1959 they moved to Oakdale, Calif. looking for work. Dad started to work welding at the fire engine manufacturing plant, then changed jobs to work on a turkey ranch. In 1960 they had another girl, Cindy. They stayed in California for three years, and then moved back to their beloved Idaho ranch. Dad started working for the city of Hailey in the street department. He stayed with the City until mandatory retirement at 70. While working for the street department he became County Commission for Blaine County. He enjoyed that as much as anything. Dad was a very independent person and did as he thought best. He decided to not run again when he turned 80. He would get very upset when they would say that it was the skiing that brought people to the Wood River Valley. He believed it was the trappers, sheepherders and the miners that made this valley well known. Besides being a Golden Gloves Boxing Champion of Southern Idaho, Rupert was one of the founders of the Sawtooth Ranger Riding Club. He was active in the PTA, Master of the Upper Big Wood River Grange (several times), Grand Marshall of the Days of the Old West and Wagon Days Parades, as well as Citizen of the Year for the state of Idaho. He opened his home to foster boys for several years. He allowed his kids to have a variety of pets, from magpies, chipmunks and of course the usual dogs, cats and horses. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie, one son, Michael, two grandchildren, Gary and Mitch and all of his siblings. Surviving are his five children, Bill, Tony, Patrick, and Cindy House and Anita Etchechoury, numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren. Live the good life - every day is a gift! Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008, held at the Hailey LDS Chapel, with Rev. Harvey Lipskoch of the Community Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow in the Hailey Cemetery. Viewing hours will be from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at the Wood River Chapel in Hailey. Condolences may be left at www.woodriverchapel.com.